Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav speaks to India Today on a range of issues, from the fight within his family to the alliance he has forged with the Congress.

Shortly after the conclusion of campaigning for the second round of polling for the Uttar Pradesh assembly election, a confident and assertive akhilesh yadav met with Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa, India Today (Hindi) editor Anshuman Tiwari and Ashish Misra at his residence in Lucknow. The UP chief minister spoke on a range of issues- from the fight within his family to the alliance he has forged with the Congress. Excerpts from the interview...

Q. After the first few rounds of polling, what kind of outcome are you expecting?

A. It's much better than before. I'm sure the SP-Congress alliance will emerge number one with the maximum seats. Initially, there was confusion among voters. But the coalition has allayed their fears and we will get a consolidated vote. Our rivals earlier were talking about victory margins, now they are not sure they will win. It's evident in their reaction. Listen to the prime minister's speeches, and Amit Shah's, and Mayawati's. The BJP leadership sounds rattled. Just today, the PM said he wants to buy a ticket and ride in the metro. Arre, you are the prime minister, you should know the procedure. You have to follow a 90-day mandatory standard procedure after the train is put on track. If the railways gives us the NOC (no objection certificate), we will start transporting people in the metro from tomorrow.

At least, the public has faith that the Samajwadi Party delivers. Wide roads have been constructed in western UP, electricity is available 24 hours in homes. The ambulance service is trusted. A modern police control room has been established for the first time, the police are on call and can reach any spot in 10-15 minutes. Medical colleges have been built. The Samajwadi pension scheme is on. The laptop scheme has been a success. The improvements are visible to the people. It has created an environment in favour of the SP... and our getting together with the Congress has given us the image of being a progressive party. It has provided a strong, secular platform.

Q. Did it occur to you that before the election battle, you'd have to battle the family and the party?

A. I had no idea I would face such a situation. But I believe that, in politics, if your goal is big and you want to accomplish it, you need to be prepared for every situation.

Q. Was the humiliating defeat in the 2014 Lok Sabha election a turning point for you?

A. The SP government began working with full responsibility from 2014, though preparations had begun earlier. It took us time to sort out the mess the previous BSP government had left. Since there was no industrial policy, there were no investments. More money was spent on monuments so the initial days of my government were spent arranging for money in the budget. We had huge liabilities. The previous BSP government had started many schemes; had I discontinued them, I would have been accused of stalling the previous government's work. There were huge liabilities in the roads sector, so an allocation was made for roads. Now I can say, the next Samajwadi government will start working from day one.

Q. All is still not well in your family. Your uncle, Shivpal Yadav, has stayed away from canvassing. Will it have an impact?

A. Till February 19, he will be busy with his own election. After that, wherever he wants to go or wherever he is invited to campaign, he should go, I will not stop him. Because we have already put the party on the path it needs to be on.

Q. You cite the work in irrigation and roads in UP as an example of your achievements, but these departments were under your uncle Shivpal till six months ago...

A. After becoming chief minister, the first thing I did was go to the Sharda barrage and direct authorities that it should not flood. It didn't. I had detected irregularities in the construction of bridges on the river Ghaghra. We were constantly monitoring these things, that is why we could provide results. But I do not reject the work of any minister.

Q. You are campaigning alone this time, whereas you had many SP leaders with you in 2012. Even your father Mulayam has mostly stayed away.

A. This is Netaji's (Mulayam Singh Yadav's) party, his cadre. He is campaigning in some places, many of our leaders are busy with their own elections. As they get free, they will join the campaign in the next round. I am myself a candidate and also president of the party. If the party loses, the entire blame will be on my head. If all goes well, then everyone will say all was anyway well with the party.

Q. Your father blames you for failing to realise his dream of becoming prime minister...

A. Mulayam Singh Yadav has been in politics for a long time. He has made many leaders prime ministers. He could have been prime minister, but didn't.

Q. Has your relationship with your father changed since you took charge of the SP?

A. Both of us are busy campaigning. Our relations are fine. We talk on the phone. We will now build all relationships only after the elections are over on March 11.

Q. What issues do you have with Amar Singh?

A. Though Amar Singh was my uncle, he was close to Netaji. But now the matter is over. Today, the party is treading a new path. Why should we discuss him? If he is saying something, it is his viewpoint. In a democracy, you have to bear with these things. People in the party know who's wrong and who's right.

Q. Why are you not contesting?

A. Initially, I wanted to fight. In Hamirpur, it was proposed that I fight the election from Bundelkhand. Party leaders said as there had been no chief minister from this area, I should fight elections from Bundelkhand. Meanwhile, these developments unfolded in my family. That is when I decided I won't fight elections, I'll help people fight elections. I could have contested from any seat, but I would have been stuck there. My own election would have been on my mind. Now I am free and campaigning vigorously.

Q. You gave the Congress over 100 seats, despite some people in your party opposing it...

A. Friendship is fruitful only if it is done with a large heart; a miserly friendship will not last. The Samajwadis are large-hearted people.

Q. How will allying with the Congress benefit you?

A. What the Congress does or doesn't give does not matter. The coalition has given people the impression that together these people will think better. The BJP is saying this is an alliance of dynasties, I say it is the alliance of two youth, alliance of new thinking. Rahul and I think UP should move ahead.

Q. Is your alliance a sign of the SP's weakness?

A. Well, people were anyway saying the SP will do well this election, it will form the next government. We wanted to be absolutely sure, hence the alliance.

A. I have known Rahul Gandhi for quite some time. We are both the same age, we are both young. He has seen the world, so have I. Other countries in the world have moved ahead. Now, even we can dream of our state moving ahead and its people becoming better off.

Q. Barring Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leaders are not putting much effort in the campaign. Even Priyanka has stayed away from campaigning so far.

A. That is not the case. Leaders of both parties are campaigning. No one would have done as many rallies as I have. Millions thronged my roadshows with Rahul in Lucknow, Agra and Meerut. Congress leaders are holding separate rallies so that we can reach out to the maximum number of places.

Q. What is the big issue you see in this election?

A. This is a period of transition in UP politics. Politics today has to be progressive and development-oriented. Last time, my election campaign was based on 'Umeed ki cycle'. This time, my campaign slogans are 'Umeedon ka pradesh, Uttar Pradesh', 'Roz naya ek kadam', 'Kaam bolta hai' and 'UP ko ye saath pasand hai'. Perhaps social media was not so active before this election. Which is why we are thinking of distributing smartphones to connect them to the government. In the coming days, only a political party which shows results will survive.

Q. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticising your government on the law and order situation...

A. The prime minister is saying Uttar Pradesh has the maximum number of rape and riot cases. What is a riot? We need to find out, as [even] a feud between two communities is being dubbed a riot. I also want to ask, you have been in power at the Centre for two-and-a-half years, what have you done for UP on the law and order situation? The previous UPA government used to give money to modernise the police which they have stopped. We have introduced 'UP-100', one of the most innovative initiatives to enhance police response, entirely with state money. I think the prime minister should try the Agra-Lucknow expressway once. After that, he too will vote the SP.

Q. You are soft in your response to the PM's attacks. Why?

A. I don't want to say it but I am compelled to: whoever is advising the prime minister is likely to lose his job after the elections. The SP government has worked for farmers. Sugarcane payments were made when sugar mills were in a crisis. Today, 95 per cent of the sugar mills have paid the farmers. Very few states in the country are offering Rs 280 per quintal as the price for sugarcane. The prime minister is saying that nobody can get one's blood pressure checked in Medanta hospital. He should know that only land is provided to private hospitals, they build the hospitals themselves. The SP government has built several medical colleges. The prime minister can get his blood pressure checked at any government hospital. After the elections, all the BJP leaders will require their blood pressure checked. The day passengers will start moving in the metro, we'll be sure to invite the prime minister.

Q. Do you think the BJP will raise Hindutva or Ram Mandir issues to counter your campaign?

A. They can try what they want, people won't listen to them. The issue in UP is development. Now they can't fool people with Hindutva and temple issues. On Dussehra day, the prime minister had come to shoot an arrow at the Lucknow Ramlila, but could not do it. No work should be done without practice. Practice makes a man perfect.

Q. In your father's time, the Samajwadi Party would connect with Muslims directly. You do not believe in doing so. Is this a planned strategy or an attempt to change the character of the SP?

A. In all our state-level schemes, we have given Muslims representation in proportion to their population: they've been given 20 per cent representation in laptop distribution, Lohia housing for the poor and Kanya Vidya Dhan. If we have given money to build the walls of a cemetery, we have also given money for the maintenance of Hindu places of worship. If we have regularised one-and-a-half lakh shiksha mitras [as assistant teachers], we have also regularised Urdu moallims. Beautification around the Imambara was done in Lucknow, 24-hour power is supplied to the state's religious sites. Nobody can accuse us of discrimination. Hence our slogan, 'Kaam bolta hai'.

Q. But the BJP accuses you of appeasing Muslims.

A. Whatever my rivals might say, I am giving people their rightful due. The BJP has not constructed roads, bridges. Therefore, they are raising issues of law and order, Muslim appeasement. We have built roads, bridges, restarted choked canals, worked for the betterment of tribals such as the Thaaru. The BJP has been pushed out of the battle of UP. Therefore, they are angry. The prime minister threw the word 'Scam' at us, saying the state has to be saved from the SP, Congress, Akhilesh and Mayawati. We said 'scam' means 'Save the country from Amit Shah and Modi'.

Q. BSP president Mayawati has fielded more Muslim candidates. Will it harm your party?

A. The BSP's strategy is to disperse the Muslim vote. Mayawatiji is helping the BJP. The Muslims understand this. They know whom to vote for.

Q. How do you plan to counter her Dalit support?

A. The Constitution itself provides for reservations for Dalits. So, they get help in each of our plans. Who else will help them more than us? I'm giving a Samajwadi pension of Rs 500 a month to 5.5 million women, of whom 27 per cent would be Dalits. I distributed food in Bundelkhand, and most of the poor in the area were Dalits. Now these Dalits will vote for us. We decide on the basis of ideology, not caste.

Q. What importance do you attach to caste in elections?

A. Such politics is practised in democratic countries all over the world. America too says it will seal its border with Mexico. Even in developed countries, there are local issues. We too have issues like caste and the Ram mandir.

Q. Which party is giving you the closest fight in UP?

A. From day one, I have said SP and Congress will take the number one and two positions. Who will be number three or four is for the BSP and BJP to decide.

Q. In case you win, a new kind of politics will emerge from the Hindi belt. Will Delhi be next on your agenda?

A. I don't dream of going to Delhi. I have read history well. I've found that he who lives in Lucknow rules. Whoever goes to Delhi cannot sustain his rule for long. I am happy here and do not want to go to Delhi.

Q. The last SP government was said to have five-and-a-half chief ministers. How many will the new SP government have, if you win?

A. The opponents don't have one chief ministerial face. My next government will have only one chief minister.

Q. How will your second term be different?

A. I'll give the state the world's best infrastructure. I built a 302 km long access control expressway in 23 months, I know how to do it. If I get the opportunity, I'll build a 350 km long expressway from Lucknow to Ballia in 30 months.

Q. What will you do if you lose?

A. I am still young. I'll have more time to work for the party. With age, will power, dreams and the right path on our side, the SP will return to power.